"Jokic is the Biggest Hoax in Basketball History!" Croatian Coach Reveals How Miško Hid Nikola and Orchestrated the Deal of the Century

Neven Spahija remains astounded by Nikola Jokic's performances in the NBA. In a past interview, he expressed his fascination, which undoubtedly continues as Jokic consistently elevates his game, now eyeing a second championship ring and a third MVP title.

"Nikola Jokic is a marvel. We both arrived in the NBA the same year – he in Denver, and I in Atlanta as an assistant coach to Mike Budenholzer. As a newcomer, my task was to scout rebuilding teams like Philadelphia, the Nets, and Denver. That's where I learned the ropes. When I saw what Jokic was already doing back then, I couldn't believe it. I swear, I only showed Jokic's clips to Mike, not to the players, because I didn't want to frustrate them," he told Index.hr.

He elaborated further.

"I didn't know that kid. I had never watched him play, only knew he existed and played for Mega. Later, I realized that Miško Ražnatović had managed to pull off something unprecedented in basketball history. It was the biggest 'hoax' in basketball history. It's still beyond me how he managed to keep such a talent under wraps. No one even considered drafting him, and in the meantime, Miško had already made arrangements with Denver, whose scouts were constantly at Mega's practices. Ognjen Stojaković, who is still an assistant coach in Denver, did an immense job. That such a talent could be hidden in the 21st century is unbelievable to me. To this day, it remains a mystery. Denver could freely give a championship ring to Miško Ražnatović today. He deserves it. He managed to ensure that no one in Europe had any idea what he had at Mega. If anyone had even suspected, if they had come to watch a practice or a game, Nikola would have been a top-three draft pick."

He also addressed the question of whether Jokic is the greatest European basketball player ever in the NBA.

"I agree with those who argue that it's foolish to compare generations, but there's something exact: numbers. They will ultimately paint the true picture. Nikola has no more limits; he has entered the category of all-time greats, and it's only a matter of how many times he will repeat this and in what manner. The sky is his only limit."

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